With preparations for the sortie complete, I teleported the Demon King’s Army.
The scenery shifted instantly, the training ground replaced by the sight of a vast, undulating ocean.
The fleet touched down on the water simultaneously. I checked our positions meticulously; it appeared no one had fallen overboard during the transition. They were likely growing accustomed to the sensation after so many successful jumps.
I immediately deployed defense magic, weaving a barrier to envelop the entire army. This ensured we were ready for any surprise attacks. Though no enemies were in the immediate vicinity, one could never be too careful. We were on the battlefield now, where anything could happen at any moment. As the one wielding the greatest power, the burden of vigilance rested primarily on me.
Ascending into the air, I hovered at a vantage point overlooking my forces before shifting my gaze toward the horizon.
A massive fleet was advancing across the waves—an imposing sight even within my direct line of vision. According to my sensing magic, their true numbers were likely several times larger than what I could see.
These were the ships of the Allied Forces. I had chosen a teleportation point slightly removed from them to avoid the chaos of an immediate engagement, and that decision was proving sound.
Several airships hovered above the fleet. Shaped like massive crates with cloth stretched across their tops, they were vehicles developed by one of the nations belonging to the Allied Forces. Despite the cloth, magic generated the bulk of their buoyancy. Fueled by magic power, these machines were engineering marvels, boasting a cargo capacity far exceeding any horse-drawn carriage.
Currently, they appeared to be transporting soldiers. I had received reports about them from my spies, but seeing them in person was a spectacular sight. I found myself wanting a few for the Demon King's Army. The Institute Director would likely be drooling at the prospect of dismantling their internal structures for analysis.
(...Now is not the time for admiration.)
I reined in my wandering thoughts. The Allied Forces had deployed considerable strength, and even this was only the beginning. This fleet was merely an advance force; reinforcements would undoubtedly follow as the situation evolved.
The continental nations—specifically those along the coast—had mobilized their armies as well. I couldn’t see them from here, but they appeared to be lying in wait further out at sea. However, they stood little chance against the Allied Forces. They might inflict some damage, but repelling the invaders was another matter entirely. They were technologically outmatched, and the sheer disparity in numbers was insurmountable. The local nations had no way to close that gap.
A clash between the two fleets would result in catastrophic casualties. I wanted to prevent that if at all possible; escalating a conflict between humans was the last thing I desired. The initial stages of the invasion were the ideal time for deterrence.
The beasts, led by the False God, were indifferent to human loss. Their only goal was to pose as humanity’s saviors to win the favor of the Will of the World. I couldn't expect them to employ tactics that prioritized the safety of their troops. If it meant my elimination, they would treat their human allies as disposable pawns without a second thought.
“—Hmph. My patience has reached its limit. I am going!”
Without warning, Diera’s voice echoed in my head via telepathy. Before I could even think of a response, an explosion rocked one of our ships.
Diera had launched herself with staggering force. Moving with such speed she was practically flying, she closed the distance to the Allied fleet in the blink of an eye.
(What in the world...?)
Her sudden, erratic behavior caught me completely off guard. By our original plan, she wasn't supposed to act until much later. I had intended to use her to pursue the retreating remnants of the Allied Forces once they were broken. I had made that perfectly clear to her; I had certainly never authorized a frontal assault at this stage.
I reached out to her through telepathy. “What do you think you're doing?”
“I am securing my big moment, of course! Since you will be the star of the decisive battle anyway, the least you can do is let me stand out here!”
Diera offered her high-spirited, nonsensical justification. Immediately after, she projected Chains of Light from both palms. A rain of chains descended, impaling the ships of the Allied Forces.
A few ships attempted to deploy defenses, but their efforts were utterly futile. The Chains of Light tore through them, sinking deep into the hulls.
“Hiyah!”
With a sharp cry, Diera spun mid-air, yanking the chains back with the momentum. The links sang with a crystalline chime as they snapped taut. Then came a thunderous roar—the Allied ships, still impaled by the chains, were wrenched from the sea and hurled into the sky.